1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a goods handling facility for a storage depot having shelves and including storage containers which are retrievable thereout, and having at least one means for conveying shelves and operative to transport storage containers between the storage depot and a goods removing station. The invention relates further to a method of operating said goods handling facility.
Facilities of such design are generally in practical use, for instance, in consignment procedures, i.e. for a readying of articles of a goods or wares depot according to a client's order for a later shipping or for feeding such goods to the production line, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a commonly known facility of the kind mentioned above a shelf conveying means fetches one respective storage container after the other according to the prevailing order from the depot and conveys it to a goods removing station, at which station such goods are removed and whereby the storage container is deposited thereafter again at the same location. Obviously it is also possible to remove complete containers out of the depot, which containers completely leave the facility.
Such goods handling facilities which are termed also small parts depots incorporate a limited handling facility capacity due to the relatively long passages from the respective deposit location to the goods removing station.
Due to the general trend in the logistic goods chains of the producing and goods distributing industry to reduce the inventories and to carry out the supply within as short as possible time and on time, there is a desire for goods storage facilities having a high handling capacity and a relatively low storage volume.
According to the present state of the prevailing art a high handling capacity necessitates high investment costs because a correspondingly higher number of means for conveying shelves (RFZ) must be employed.